Tag Archives: accessories

Actually, JORD Wood Watches never went anywhere. But the holidays are upon us and so is another gift opportunity! This Christmas, I invite you back to JORD for another round of holiday fun. These beautifully crafted watches are fresh, affordable, and add a fun new twist to any outfit.

JORD’s wood watches are my absolute favorite accessory. They come in many different shades and styles making them a perfect fit for any shopper wanting to personalize their present. These timeless pieces are stunningly unique and very versatile. As you can see, I went for a little more masculine look this year and am LOVING it. I’m able to dress mine up for a night out or dress it down while I’m working from home.

There are countless ways to brag on these watches, but instead of carrying on, I’m inviting YOU to join me and my friends at JORD for a special holiday deal. By simply entering your email address, you’ll receive a coupon worth 25% off your purchase! Trust me, you won’t want to miss out.

So. Many. Options. When I first started registering, I had no idea where to even begin. Should I get a swing or a rock and play? What kind of stroller do I need? How much should I spend on a diaper bag? The struggle is REAL.

Here’s the good news: you’re the mom. You get to choose. Here’s more good news: there’s not much you need in the very beginning, so there’s plenty of time to feel out what’s going to work best for you.

If you’re just now beginning your registry, or even if you have a little one and you’re still searching for some things you may need, here are a few companies that I’ve really enjoyed. These have all been my go-to’s in the first six months.

When I started my registry, I used the BabyList app. BabyList allows you to register with multiple stores while keeping all the registry links in one place. This was perfect because you can access bigger registries like Target and Babies ‘R Us as well as small shops and boutiques all in one app. Having everything in the same place makes it easy for family and friends to see what you like/need.

The stroller we went with was a Doona (this link takes you to buy buy Baby, but they can be purchased from multiple locations). This is hands down the best baby purchase we’ve made. It’s not only a stroller but a carseat as well. The wheels on the stroller collapse and fold, then everything clicks into a base that’s installed in the car. I cannot even begin to explain how convenient this stroller is. With the amount of traveling we do, I don’t know that we’d survive with anything else. Even the amount of times we’re in and out of the car throughout the day is made easier by having a stroller/carseat combo — not to mention when he’s passed out and I don’t want him to wake up, there’s no moving him from one carrier to another. They’re a little on the pricier side, but after purchasing both a stroller and carseat, you’ve almost spent the same amount anyway. Do yourself a favor, Doona is the way to go.

The only downside to Doona is that there is no undercarriage storage. That’s why I purchased a backpack as a diaper bag. My KiKiLu is so cute and super spacious. I love that it doesn’t scream DIAPER BAG while I’m wearing it, and everything I need plus more fits inside. This thing gets compliments everywhere I go, and it comes in a few different colors. Definitely glad I registered for this.

Another stroller accessory that I’ve loved is my nursing/carseat cover from The Baby Abode. This cover has come in handy when I’m out and need to nurse or if weather conditions aren’t great and his carseat needs to be covered. It’s also useful while shopping anywhere with a cart — plus it makes a super cute scarf. I love that this serves so many purposes because I only need to remember one thing instead of three or four when I get out. They come in lots of cute colors/patterns, plus they’re thin so when you’re feeding your little one, you both stay cool.

Another trial and error product for us was diapers. Thankfully, we were gifted a few different brands, but we ended up using Pampers the most. I loved having the little line that goes from yellow to blue when they get wet. We also experienced the least amount of blowouts and leaks with these, especially once he started sleeping 10-12 hours a night.

As we all know, babies are messy. Bath time is a daily occurrence, and I’ve found a few things that make it fun for both of us. The tub we registered for was the 4mom Infant Tub. As a new mom, this was really great because it reads the water temperature. If the water gets too hot or too cold, it sounds a small alarm letting you know to adjust it. I was thankful for this because I wouldn’t have known what too hot/too cold for a baby was. Once I got a feel for the correct temperature and he could hold his head up a tiny bit better, I started using the Blooming Bath Lotus. I loved this because not only is it soft and comfortable for the baby, it also travels really well. Fold it up, put it in your suitcase, toss it into any sink, and TA-DA!! You’ve got yourself a bathtub. The second thing that we use during bath time is Babo Botanicals soap. The first soap we tried dried Daniel’s skin out a bit, but we’ve really enjoyed their products. Plus, when they sent the soap to us, they included some BOMB lip products for me. Brownie points were scored for sure.

Nighttime… this is where babies tend to differ the most. Some sleep 4 hours a night, some 12. Some stay in your room for the first 6 months, some go to the crib after just a few weeks. Some stay swaddled for a long time, some don’t. For us, we kept Daniel in our room for the first 16 weeks then moved him to his own room. No rhyme or reason, that’s just what worked. The decision I had a tougher time with was when to stop swaddling. He was wiggling those chubby arms out from about 3 weeks on, but it’s safest to keep them swaddled until they can roll over. So, how do you bridge that gap? With the Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit! It’s a great transition from swaddle to complete freedom in the crib. Their arms and legs are a little more free, but they can’t roll over with the suit on. It’s amazing. He also started sleeping much longer stretches once we put him in this… Just sayin’.

One of my favorite little contraptions is the Baby Shusher. It makes a subtle shushing sound that’s gotten Daniel to sleep in the most dramatic of public meltdowns. It’s small enough to fit in the carseat/stroller with them and hardly takes up any space in the diaper bag. I take this thing everywhere, especially when we’re going to be out for a while and I’m counting on him napping on the go. You can purchase them from multiple locations, and they make great shower gifts.

One piece of advice I would give is not to have too many clothes. I know, I know, there’s so much out there and everything is adorable and you want allllllll of it. But honestly, I’ve grown tired of digging through outfits he barely wears to find my favorites. I would suggest choosing 10-12 pieces per size and nothing more. I do laundry everyday, so it’s not like he’s ever going to run out. Here are some of my favorite clothing brands: Rylee + Cru, Jax & Lennon Co, Murray & Finn, June Isle, Kid Wild, Zara Kids, and H&M Kids. For some fun accessories, check these out: Kinbe, Noble Carriage, Briar Handmade, and Petite Soul Shop.

Moms need clothes, too, and I’ve found the one piece of clothing that EVERY pregnant/breastfeeding mom needs: Dwell & Slumber dresses. The buttons in the front make it easy to nurse, and the flowy one-size-fits-all design stretches for even the biggest bumps. These dresses are pretty much glorified pj’s, and I’m not sure I would have made it without these. They sell out super quick though, so set your alarm when they restock and be ready to POUNCE!

Woolf With Me is where I found nursery linens such as his crib sheets, changing table pad cover, and Boppy cover. Their stuff is so cute and comes in tons of different patterns. I had a really tough time deciding what I wanted!

As far baby wearing, we’ve really loved the Solly Baby Wrap. It’s cozy and cute and you wrap it yourself, so there’s no such thing as outgrowing it — until your child is so heavy you wouldn’t want to wear them anyway. The colors are beautiful, so I don’t mind having what I’m wearing covered up by it. And don’t worry, it comes with instructions for how to put it on. If I can figure it out, you can, too.

Something else I’ve been using a lot lately is our Gathre mat. It’s made with real leather and is super easy to clean. We’ve taken ours for picnics, to the beach, and we also put it under Daniel while he’s eating because it’s a quick clean up. They come in some really fun colors, however, we chose the streetcar pattern so he’ll be able to play with it for years.

Since it’s not all work and no play, I’ll also share some of my favorite toy companies. These are toys that I find to be aesthetically pleasing (because we all know kids stuff can come in… interesting colors) and safe incase they end up in their mouth — as most toys do. Check out Fanny & Alexander, Hazel Village, and Little Cottonwood (they also have great clothes).

Hopefully, some of you that were as lost as I was have found something helpful. Like I said, these were all my first-six-month go-to’s, and they’re all companies I trust using for an infant. If you have any questions, reach out or leave a comment below. I’d love to help out more if I can! And don’t get overwhelmed. We all make it out alive :)

Hurricane Irma has begun it’s destruction while many Texans are left dealing with the devastating aftermath of Harvey. If you’re like me, you’ve been in constant search of ways to serve the victims and their families during this time of loss. It’s so easy to feel helpless in these situations, but thankfully, there are countless ways to show your support.

One company I’ve recently partnered with is Kinbe, a socially conscious lifestyle brand with a dream to give back to the world in a more meaningful way. Kinbe gives 25% of their profits towards helping orphans in Guatemala because they believe all children are deserving of love. Something I didn’t know about Guatemala is that they don’t allow inter-country adoptions meaning orphaned children can only be adopted within their country. Most children under 3 years of age in the orphan system there will sit in cribs most of the day with little human touch. As a mom to a child under 3, this breaks my heart. Kinbe’s proceeds allow the orphanage that they’ve paired up with to provide family style housing for these kiddos. This is important because most children there aren’t fortunate enough to be adopted, and although they remain in the orphan system, they’re still able to experience parental love. For more on this and how you can help, please visit the Kinbe Village Donation Drive.

Aside from their heart for giving, what I love about Kinbe is their actual product. Their moccs are adjustable, so they grow with your little ones! We got our first pair a few weeks ago and are in love. They come in lots of different colors, patterns, and sizes making it easy to find a pair that’s just right for you!

In an effort to support the victims of Harvey (as well as Irma if need be), Kinbe is giving 10% of all sales during the month of September to the families affected. I encourage you to check out their page here. This company is doing so many wonderful things, and I’m so proud to be in support.

Well, as expected October flew by, and now the holidays are upon us. Pretty soon the hustle and bustle of the season will hit us along with the “Shoot, I haven’t gotten my shopping done yet!”

I’ve never been a big online shopper until recently. I don’t know exactly what I was doing with my life until now. Actually driving to the mall? LOL! Thankfully, we do have the wonderful web to help us out when the hustle and bustle gets too hard.

If you’re like me, it’s tough choosing a fun gift for each loved one year after year. Before too long, you’ve exhausted the sweaters and mugs and holiday inspired knick-knacks, and you’re looking for something new. Something exciting.

Look no further!

This Christmas, I invite you to check out JORD Wood Watches. These beautifully crafted watches are fresh, affordable, and add a fun new twist to any outfit.

JORD watches come in many different shades and styles making them a perfect fit for any shopper wanting to personalize their present. These timeless pieces are stunningly unique and very versatile. I’m able to dress mine up for a night out or dress it down while I’m working from home.

Up to this point, I haven’t had anything resembling a wood watch in my accessories, and I’m really enjoying this new piece.

There are countless things to brag on with these watches but instead of carrying on, I’m going to invite YOU to join my friends and me at JORD to enter for a chance to win a $75 e-gift card! And for those of you that are grumbling because ‘you never win anything’, every person that enters gets a $20 gift card just for signing up!

Lately, I’ve been making it a point not to buy things unless I’m absolutely in love with them. Over the years, my closet has expanded, my shoes have piled up, and my anxiety from the clutter has skyrocketed. But as I was scrolling through Instagram the other day (not an uncommon thing), I noticed a necklace that caught my attention.

No fear in love… It struck me. No fear in love? But isn’t love always scary and unpredictable and hurtful? We’re constantly disappointed by those we love. It never fails. Love kinda sucks.

But if I’m being completely honest, I’m always hurting people that love me too. I’m not exempt from that blame. We can all be selfish. It’s in our DNA. So what the HECK kind of love doesn’t include fear?

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” 1 John 4:18

Perfect Love.

What is perfect love? Better yet, who is perfect love? It’s not me. And it’s not you. It’s not any of us.

“God is love.” 1 John 4:16

[ No fear in Love + God is Love = No fear in God ]

I used to think God was kind of cruel. He sometimes allows bad things to happen and sets boundaries for us that we don’t understand. But I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand because I’m not supposed to yet. He doesn’t give us all the answers in this life, but He does tell us this: He loved us first (1 John 4:19); He loved us so much that gave his only Son so that we could have eternal life with him (John 3:16); nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:37-39); we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27); He is in our midst (Zephaniah 3:17); He cares for us and wants us to lean on Him (1 Peter 5:6-7); He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love (Psalm 86:15); and love comes from Him (1 John 4:7).

God isn’t going to hurt us like we hurt each other, and He doesn’t keep things from us to be hateful. Everything He does serves a purpose, and that purpose is for our own good. We may be scared to love each other from time to time, but He’s constantly reminding us that we shouldn’t be scared to love Him.

We may not have all the answers we’d like to. And I think maybe we don’t know everything because all we need to know is that He loves us. He longs for a relationship with us. He cares for us. He is without fault, without blame, without flaw. And loving Him isn’t scary at all. It’s the most peaceful, consistent, fulfilling thing we could ever do. God is Love. And in His love, there is no fear.